and if the obama plan can pass the senate, but there's a bit of optimism, a bit of energy, the body language finally looks a bit more positive. back to you. >> steve, with that improvement body language and the prospects that maybe something will happened, doesn't the fact remain that representative boehner does not seem to have control of the republicans in the house, a group of them standing firm, no taxes -- on a no tax increase on anybody. >> that's right, which is why boehner pulled the plug, jim, you'll recall, on that vote, which was supposed to be a show vote to put the pressure on the president to draw the line at a million. when he realized he didn't have a majority of the republicans, he didn't go forward. what this is now is an old school where you have a bipartisan society, where boehner would be asked to permit a vote, even if he knew most republicans would vote no. it's humiliating for a speaker, especially in this milieu, in the world we live in now. it would set up boehner to maybe lose the speakership when the vote is taken in the house for that on january 3rd. it would cer